Inyokern Senior Center 1247 Broadway, Inyokern February 12, 2014 Lorelei H. Oviatt, Director, AICP Kern County Planning & Community Development Department Iris Priestaf, PhD: President Gus Yates, PG, CHG: Senior Hydrologist TODD Engineers 1

Presentation of Todd Engineers findings  Groundwater balance  Consequences of overdraft  Potential solutions ◦ Physical solutions ◦ Land Use Planning ◦ Institutional solutions Open discussion 2

3  Downloadable from County website: planning-news/336-iwvrop-water-report

Goal: Ensure that adequate supplies of high-quality water are available to meet present and future demands Objectives:  Optimize existing groundwater supply  Develop supplemental supplies  Manage water demand  Develop institutional framework 4

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6  The Indian Wells Valley groundwater basin is in overdraft and has been since the 1960s, and the severity meets the definition of a “critical condition of overdraft.”  Groundwater pumping is now three to five times greater than basin yield.

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 Indian Wells Valley is a “closed” basin, meaning that subsurface inflows from outside the watershed (for example, from the Kern River Plateau) and subsurface outflows are both negligibly small. 8

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10 Types of impacts: ◦ increased pumping costs ◦ loss of well yield ◦ degraded water quality ◦ land subsidence  All pumpers contribute to overdraft and all feel its effects

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Planning goal = sustainability Sustainability means balancing the groundwater budget Numerous water management alternatives exist: ◦ Physical measures ◦ Land use planning ◦ Institutional options 18

 Delay impacts of overdraft ◦ Redistribute municipal pumping ◦ Demineralize groundwater  Banked Water Conveyed by the Los Angeles Aqueduct  Decrease demand ◦ Conserve urban water ◦ Conserve agricultural water  Increase supply ◦ Recycle wastewater ◦ Import water 19

 Delay impacts of overdraft ◦ Redistribute municipal pumping ◦ Demineralize groundwater  Banked Water Conveyed by the Los Angeles Aqueduct  Decrease demand ◦ Conserve urban water ◦ Conserve agricultural water  Increase supply ◦ Recycle wastewater ◦ Import water 20

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 Delay impacts of overdraft ◦ Redistribute municipal pumping ◦ Demineralize groundwater  Banked Water Conveyed by the Los Angeles Aqueduct  Decrease demand ◦ Conserve urban water ◦ Conserve agricultural water  Increase supply ◦ Recycle wastewater ◦ Import water 22

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 Delay impacts of overdraft ◦ Redistribute municipal pumping ◦ Demineralize groundwater  Banked Water Conveyed by the Los Angeles Aqueduct  Decrease demand ◦ Conserve urban water ◦ Conserve agricultural water  Increase supply ◦ Recycle wastewater ◦ Import water 24

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 Delay impacts of overdraft ◦ Redistribute municipal pumping ◦ Demineralize groundwater  Banked Water Conveyed by the Los Angeles Aqueduct  Decrease demand ◦ Conserve urban water ◦ Conserve agricultural water  Increase supply ◦ Recycle wastewater ◦ Import water 27

28 G-1 Seep Lark Seep WWTP China Lake Playa G-1 Seep Lark Seep WWTP China Lake Playa

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 Delay impacts of overdraft ◦ Redistribute municipal pumping ◦ Demineralize groundwater  Banked Water Conveyed by the Los Angeles Aqueduct  Decrease demand ◦ Conserve urban water ◦ Conserve agricultural water  Increase supply ◦ Recycle wastewater ◦ Import water 30

31 Los Angeles Aqueduct

External water source options:  Butterworth Ranch (Inyo County)  LADWP/MWD water transfer or SWP/CVP purchase  Private party water right lease or purchase  Spot market 32

Planning goal = sustainability Sustainability means balancing the groundwater budget Numerous water management alternatives exist: ◦ Physical measures ◦ Land use planning ◦ Institutional options 33

34  Continuation of the County’s specific planning process for Indian Wells Valley  Utilization of land trusts to maintain open space  Consider the adoption of groundwater management ordinance  Consider legal measures which include: Injunction and Adjudication

35 Continuation of the County’s specific planning process for Indian Wells Valley  Development of region-wide goals, policies and implementation measures designed to support future sustainable development.  Opportunity to review and evaluate existing land use designations

36 Land Trusts  Land Conservation Trusts  Open Space Protection Programs  Investigate the establishment of a land trust for open space lands

37  Consider the adoption of groundwater management ordinance  Consider legal measures which include: Injunction and Adjudication

What do we need?  Authority to develop supplemental supply  Ability to manage water demand  Capability and means to fund or finance programs and projects  Local and equable representation of stakeholders in the formation and governance of the district  Geographic extent of jurisdiction 38

General Act Districts Indian Wells Valley Water District Special Act Districts Kern County Water Agency  Consider a Special Act District Role of AB3030 Management Plan  Strengthen the AB3030 Management Plan 39

40  Present the report to the Kern County Board of Supervisors for consideration of options: March 4, 2014 – 2:00pm Options for the Board of Supervisors to consider include:  Continued development of Specific Plan/rezoning and related EIR  Consideration of an urgency ordinance and evaluate legal issues  Pursue the establishment of a water management agency with region stakeholders  Pursue regional interagency effort to acquire imported water  Pursue local conservation and supply projects  Evaluate forums to strengthen current water management planning  Investigate potential funding opportunities

 Craig M. Murphy (Division Chief) ◦ (661) ◦  Downloadable from County website: water-report 41